About Sphictostethus nitidus (Fabricius, 1775)
Females of Sphictostethus nitidus are reddish brown with yellow tints and sooty spots, while males are also reddish brown with yellow-tinted wings and never have spots. Females measure 8.5–22.0 mm in length, and males measure 7.5–15.0 mm. This wasp has a bold, jerky gait, and its bright coloration is aposematic, working to warn off visual predators such as birds and lizards. It is the only New Zealand species in the genus Sphictostethus that does not shift its body color from red to black as altitude or latitude increases; its body remains red even at the southernmost latitudes of its range. S. nitidus prefers open, exposed sites and tolerates a wide variety of habitats. It is adaptable, and is commonly found in suburban backyards, dunes, dry riverbeds, forest clearings, grasslands, and clay banks. Nests of this species occur from sea level up to at least 1370 m, in a range of substrates, but are most often found among boulders, particularly beneath flat stones and concrete where the wasp can access cavities through cracks. This species is endemic to New Zealand, where it occurs on both the North and South Islands, as well as some offshore islands.
